Understanding Climbing Grades: A Guide to Choosing the Right Route

Dust off your climbing shoes—it's time to hit the crag! Whether you’ve spent the winter training at the gym, skiing fresh lines, or just hibernating (no judgment), the rock is calling. But before you clip that first quickdraw, it’s crucial to know exactly what you’re getting into. A few pull-ups and a fancy harness won’t be enough if you don’t understand climbing grades.

Knowing how to read and interpret route grades is key to picking climbs that match your level, progressing safely, and making the most of your outdoor sessions. In this article, we break down the different grading systems, highlight common traps to avoid, and help you prep for your next project—whether it's a chill 5a or a spicy 7c.

What Different Climbing Grades Actually Mean

Climbing Grades in France (and Abroad): What Do They Actually Mean?

In France, sport climbing routes are graded using a number followed by a letter — and sometimes a plus (+) for a little extra spice. These are the libre (free climbing) grades you’ll see most often outdoors.

The grades go from 3 to 9, with the number indicating the difficulty level: the higher the number, the harder the climb. This is often referred to as the grade range — for instance, routes in the 7 range are said to be in the 7th grade.

The letter (a, b, or c) fine-tunes the difficulty within each number:

• 6a < 6b < 6c < 7a
• A + means it's a little harder: 5a < 5a+ < 5b < 5b+

Rough idea of what the grades mean:

• 3: Slabby or easy terrain. Hands help, but it’s more like scrambling. Think mountain goat.
• 4: Beginner-friendly. You’ll need basic footwork and hand placement skills.
• 5: Now it’s real climbing. Expect to use proper technique.
• 6: Things get technical. Slopers, tiny crimps, overhangs start showing up.
• 7: Time to get strong. Routes are physical, with tricky sequences and style variations.
• 8: For elite climbers. You’ll need to train seriously to send.
• 9: The cutting edge of the sport. The hardest climb ever done is Silence (9c) in Flatanger, Norway.

⚠️ These grades apply to sport climbing, not bouldering, which uses a different scale.

Climbing Grades Around the World

Grading systems vary from one country to another. Here are a few examples of how sport climbing grades compare internationally. The UIAA scale is used in many European countries and is the official grading system of the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation.

This chart is taken from the Grimper Malin website.

Grades: It's All Relative

‍Climbing grades are helpful, but they’re not the whole story. They give you a general idea of how hard a route is, but there are other important factors to consider when figuring out if it’s the right climb for you. Here are a few key things to keep in mind when evaluating a route’s true difficulty.

The Climbing Style

You’ll quickly notice that a 6a slab and a 6a crack climb feel totally different. Being comfortable in a certain grade doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll master it across all styles. Each rock type has its own personality—granite, limestone, sandstone, conglomerate—all have different characteristics and sometimes require specific gear. For example, stiff climbing shoes are better suited for granite cracks and jamming.

The Year, Area, and First Ascentionist

It’s not always easy to get this information when you’re exploring a new area.
Take the Aiguilles de Chamonix, for example: routes opened by Gaston Rébuffat in the 1950s, Pierre Allain in the 1930s, or André Contamine in the 1950s can feel quite different from modern climbs. At that time, the hardest grade was around 6, so the grading reference was very different.

Check out the Contamine-Vaucher route on Le Peigne (Mont Blanc massif), or for a route graded 4 that feels nothing like a sport-climbing 4, try the Petits Charmoz traverse. Yannick Seigneur and René Desmaison, active in the 1970s, were known for committing routes. You’ll want to be well within your comfort zone when attempting their climbs. A good example is the Grotte/Seigneur route on the Tours d’Areu (Arve Valley).

Also pay attention to the area: if you're heading to the Verdon Gorge, expect technical and demanding rock.

Equipment and Commitment Level

The level of protection plays a big role in how committing a route feels. Widely spaced bolts or trad climbing with removable gear can change how a grade is experienced. If you're curious about traditional climbing and how it's graded, check out our dedicated blog post on that topic.

The Unpredictable Nature of the Mountains

We’re talking about outdoor climbing here, so natural elements come into play. Wind gusts can throw you off, and hot weather can make your feet swell in your shoes. Be cautious of wet rock from recent rain, especially on cliffs that stay damp. Climbing with a storm approaching? Usually a very bad idea.

Rock quality matters too—limestone gets polished quickly! Slab friction on slick rock is definitely a memorable experience. Be wary of loose rock; having a hold come off in your hand is far from ideal. And with permafrost melting, formerly solid rock can start shifting, leading to rockfalls.

And Finally, the Human Factor

Some days are just off. Even when you're physically fit, there are times you simply don’t feel like committing. It can be frustrating, but it's part of the game. Climbing is a mental sport as much as a physical one. Turning back or bailing on a route is part of the mountain experience. As the saying goes, “If there’s doubt, there’s no doubt.” Heading back down and grabbing an ice cream can be just as essential to climbing as sending your first 7a onsight. Many other factors can come into play. Always stay alert and humble—after all, you’re in the mountains.

Choose the Right Crag or Multi-Pitch Route by Studying the Grades

Grades give you an indication of the level and technique required. But they’re more than just numbers and letters—equipment, rock type, and even your current physical and mental state all play a role. And here’s a subtle but important point: climbing grade systems vary from one country to another. Let’s take a look at how the Whympr app can become your go-to climbing companion.

‍Whympr: Your Ally for Avoiding Climbing Pitfalls

Looking to discover new climbing areas and always have the topo for your sector in your pocket? Whympr is made for you. Whympr is a mobile-only app that brings together all the tools you need to plan your mountain or outdoor adventures—whether you’re climbing, ski touring, mountaineering, or hiking.

Descriptions of Crags and Multi-Pitch Routes

Among its many features, you’ll find over 100,000 routes and points of interest. Want to display only climbing spots on the map? Just use the "Climbing" filter, and only crags will appear. By geolocating yourself, you can instantly see climbing areas around you.

Filters for Climbing and Grades

For even more precise results, select your level in the filters (beginner, intermediate, advanced, expert) so that only routes with grades matching your preference appear.

By quickly visualizing sport climbs and multi-pitch routes on the map, you’ll be able to discover new crags and plan your trips with ease.

Here’s a handy tutorial to help you use the filters in Whympr.

Topos Pro : digital guidebooks written by professionals

If you want access to guidebooks created by experts, Whympr offers Topos Pro — digital guidebooks perfectly adapted to the app’s interface.

The concept? Providing guidebooks for all outdoor activities — mountaineering, ski touring, hiking, climbing, and more — by collaborating with recognized publishers all over France. For example:

• VTOPO for the Calanques, Belledonne, and the Gorges du Destel (climbing, hiking)
• CQFD Éditions for the Verdon (climbing)
• Ekiproc for the Arves Valley, Aravis, Giffre valleys, Foron, Risse (climbing)
• JMEditions for Chamonix (mountaineering)
• The publishing house Vamos for climbing sites around Chamonix

Like with a paper book, part of the sales revenue from Topos Pro goes directly to the authors. This income compensates their work and helps maintain climbing areas. You can purchase Topos Pro individually or as a full book pack, and download them for offline use.

Here is a video to learn everything about Pro Guidebooks in Whympr.

With Whympr Premium, you’ll have access to many features

Weather forecasts (thanks to MeteoBlue, with data from the past 4 days and the next 4 days), numerous map backgrounds worldwide including IGN maps, various tracking features (GPS recording, creating GPX tracks directly from the app, etc.), the ability to save routes offline, filters to sort routes by difficulty level and activity, access to 23,000 webcams worldwide, and much more...

Grab your harness, helmet, and quickdraws — it’s time to go climbing

Whether it’s sport climbing, multi-pitch, or trad climbing, you’re sure to find your favorite spots this summer. Don’t forget to put on sunscreen and remember, grades aren’t everything. They’re just an indication of difficulty, but not the only factor to consider when choosing a cliff or a route.

And above all, it’s just a number and a letter. Don’t get discouraged if you thought you were climbing a 6a and ended up getting hammered on a multi-pitch! Climbing is not just about grades — it’s a mountain moment shared with friends that often ends with a beer.

So enjoy your summer, and of course, keep Whympr in your pocket! We’re looking forward to seeing your climbs on Whympr, and most importantly, stay safe out there!